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From: "Lynn MacLeod" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA] 1820 Settler Questions
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 12:22:38 +1300
References: <005501c4bf8d$c128ff80$c84827c4@chrish> <003701c4c0b5$123fc840$2300a8c0@mshome.net>


Hi Brian
From "Settlers to the Cape of Good Hope
Organisation of the Nottinghamshire Party
1819-1820" by Clive M Burton
put out by the Historical Society of P.E. 1971

"A number of well documented books have already been
published describing the arrival and subsequent history of the
4,000 odd persons sent out from the UK to Cape Colony in
1820, but little is generally known concerning the background
of official policy leading up to the inauguration of this
emigration scheme, the extensive planning necessary for the
assembly and dispatch of selected parties from all parts of the
kingdom, and finally the precipitous abandonment of the
organisations. The Godfrey papers throw a great deal of light on little
known facets of the above problems and although they refer only to the
county of Nottinghamshire, similar conditions would be current in other
parts of the country.

A most striking feature revealed by these documents is the speed of action
displayed by government departments, private individuals, and the
promptitude
of the internal postal delivery service. The scheme was first announded in
the House of Commons by the Lord Chancellor in July 1819. Within a
month it was being advertised throughout the country; by September local
committees had been formed, who, by December, had not only sorted out
the hundreds of applications from prospective colonists, but had organised
such applicants into parties ready for embarkation and the transports sailed
during the early months of 1820.."

The Godfrey papers, Cape Colonists Section, Nottinghamshire County Record
office.

Reference is also found in the Nottingham Journal.. so this would answer
part
of your question.... advertised in the local papers...

"The terms of the Chacellor's announcement caused widespread interest
throughout
the country; the Nottingham Journal reported that thousands of letters of
application
were pouring into the Colonial Office, and the demand far exceeded the
possibility of
accommodation."

As far as William Holder is concerned.... N D Nash says of the party
"No. 44 on the Colonial Department list, led by William Holder, a yeoman
of 7 Nelson St, Bristol. This was a joint stock party recruited in Bristol
and
consisting almost entirely of small tradesmen, although their leader assured
the Colonial Dep. that 'all understood agriculture'. Only two of the names
on
the first list submitted - Holder himself and Webb - appeared on the party's
final
sailing list. Powel and Roberts were originally members of a party formed
by
John Staples of Bermondsey, London, who was unsuccessful in his application
to emigrate; they were both Bristol men, and after Staples' party was
rejected
they joined Holder in place of drop-outs from his early list........
In writing about his fellow passengers on the Kennersley Castle, Thomas
Philipps described the party as 'mechanics from Bristol, we like all but the
head, he and the Lieut ofter quarrel...."
Kind regards
Lynn MacLeod
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Harpur
> However, I would like to get more specifics as to how the "Scheme" was
> advertised in the UK.
> How did a soldier in Wellington's army, demobbed for three years, and
> recently married in 1816, get to know of the scheme?
> Were there advertisements placed in the press by the Colonial Office? If
so,
> do copies of the adverts still exist?
>
> Ships left from many ports in the UK, so I presume that it was widely
> publicised. Particularly since it was 22 times oversubscribed.
> Can you imagine the amount of BS that was spread about to get that degree
of
> oversubscription!
>
> Then once you had heard about it, how did you set about applying?
>
> I'm particularly interested in learning more about William Holder and his
> party that sailed from Bristol. I suspect that the party must have been
> mostly Welshmen?
>
> Kind regards,
> Brian
>



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